Temnitzquell: Lake, Forest Trails and Theatre

Lake Katerbow and the circular hiking trail

The Temnitz source area lies near Pfalzheim, close to Rägelin, in the municipality of Temnitzquell. Lake Katerbow, around 2 km long, is in the district of Katerbow and forms part of the foothills of the Mecklenburg Lake District. On the southern shore, a rest area offers a view of the lake—an attraction in its own right if you would like to include waterside scenery in your day.

The circular hiking trail around the lake leads from the rest area on the southern shore along natural paths through the forest and past the villages of Charlottenhof and Buchenwald. The circular route starts and ends at the village church in Katerbow. Lakeside views, forest stretches and the two villages give the trail a variety of sections, so you do not have to limit your outing to just one type of landscape. When planning, it is useful to distinguish between the rest area, which is part of the route description, and the village church, which is the starting and finishing point.

Open-air theatre in Netzeband in summer

Classic plays have been staged every summer at the Netzeband Theatre Summer since 1996, including works by Fontane, Brecht and Shakespeare. Performances take the form of synchronised theatre on the large open-air natural stage in the estate park below Temnitz Church. This offers a different focus from a day by the lake or on the circular hiking trail: the emphasis here is on enjoying a cultural evening together outdoors. If you would like to plan a theatre visit, check the current programme and event dates in advance.

Getting there and choosing accommodation

The Prignitz Express RE 6 runs from Berlin via Neuruppin or from the direction of Wittstock to the Netzeband stop. Bus route 762 runs from Neuruppin to the Netzeband Kirche stop, Monday to Friday. Check the current timetable before travelling so you can plan your journey around the connection that suits you.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Temnitzquell, you could start by considering which experiences you want to shape your stay: the trails and views at Lake Katerbow, a theatre evening in Netzeband, or a mix of both. This priority can help you narrow down the location you want for your trip, without combining different activities into a single outing plan. Current transport connections are also worth considering if you plan to travel using the train or bus services mentioned above.

Ostprignitz-Ruppin as a wider travel destination

The wider travel destination of Ostprignitz-Ruppin offers a varied landscape of beech and pine forests, meadows and tree-lined avenues, as well as numerous lakes and rivers. The Ruppiner Seenland is one of the county’s travel regions. The Kyritz-Ruppiner Heath is a notable example of the region’s natural environment: it covers 12,000 hectares in Ostprignitz-Ruppin and has been part of Stechlin-Ruppiner Land Nature Park since 2021. The heath is one of Europe’s largest contiguous areas of Calluna heath and provides habitat for protected and endangered species, including more than 70 bird species. Wolves have also been present there since 2008. Electric-assist fat bikes make it possible to explore the area on unpaved, often sandy paths and experience its wildlife and plants with minimal impact.

Hiking and cycling are other regional highlights: Stechlin-Ruppiner Land Nature Park lies partly within Ostprignitz-Ruppin and invites visitors to enjoy both activities. The Ruppiner Land Circular Hiking Trail follows part of the European long-distance path E 10. The Fontane Cycle Route leads to places and landscapes described by Theodor Fontane in “Wanderings Through the Mark of Brandenburg.” For a different kind of cycling tour, the 108-kilometre Bischofstour leads, among other places, through Heiligengrabe and Wittstock and offers a journey back to the Middle Ages through the Prignitz landscape. It runs entirely on surfaced, signposted cycle paths; Heiligengrabe and Wittstock have rail connections to Berlin and Hamburg.

Equestrian sports are another regional attraction: the Brandenburg State Stud in Neustadt (Dosse) is a special draw for equestrians in Ostprignitz-Ruppin. The 160-kilometre Gestütsweg between the Redefin and Neustadt (Dosse) studs forms part of a supraregional network of riding trails extending into Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. These examples offer further ideas for planning a trip to Ostprignitz-Ruppin; they describe the wider travel destination, not additional features of Temnitzquell.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Breddin, Fehrbellin, Rheinsberg, Storbeck-Frankendorf, Neuruppin, Märkisch Linden, Neustadt, Berlinchen.

Back to the wider travel overview: Ostprignitz-Ruppin.